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  1. M

    B&W 800D3 HiFi Speaker = Porsche GT3 Sport Car

    I was looking to upgrade my HiFi speakers, so been doing a few auditions /evaluations on Magico A5/S5/M2 , Focal Maestro Utopia, B&W 800D3 (while waiting to get a chance to hear 801D4). It seems to me that the B&W 800D3 as Hi Fi Speakers is like Porsche GT3 as Sport Car. It is not the most...
  2. M

    Benchmark LA4 vs Topping Pre90 - Listening impression

    I have Benchmark LA4 and a friend brought his Topping Pre90 to experiment in one of my room setup. We compared two use cases : 1) Direct stereo pre-amp 2) Front only pass thru from a multichannel Pre-pro Direct Stereo compare: Oppo 105D XLR out --> LA4 ---> Mark Levinson 536 / 802D3...
  3. M

    XLR metal vs plastic connector shell - should pin 1 be connected to metal shell?

    Recently I have acquired new amps and speakers that are more resolving so I started to experiment with different XLR cables. One of my XLR cables is the monoprice Premiers series with metal connector shell. I came across this article that reviewed this cable and recommended that Pin 1 jumper be...
  4. M

    How do you know whether you have resolving speakers?

    Recently I started to collect more speakers and amplifiers. For many years, I have the opinion that amplifiers sounds the same (as long as they are driven too hard), DAC and cable interconnects sounds the same as long as they are decent quality. I had compared my legacy Denon AVR 5808 Receiver...
  5. M

    Music presentation difference by XLR cable - Monoprice Premier 16AWG vs Mogami 2549 22AWG

    I have never buy expensive cables , just good quality like Audio Quest brand speaker cables and some Monoprice basic XLR cables. Recently I have add a few new speakers and experiment with several amplifier , with my new 802D3 speakers I started to hear the sonic differences among some amplifiers...
  6. M

    Hi-Fi Quality Amplifiers to Speakers switch box

    I have been testing a number of amplifiers recently. Audio Source --> Pre-Amp XLR out --> XLR switch box --> Amplifier 1under test ---> High-end AudioQuest cable ---> Speakers...
  7. M

    Apple Music - Same song with Atmos track is 10dB lower volume than Stereo ?

    Most songs I played in Apple Music are available in Stereo track and they sound good. Some songs (for example New Light by John Mayer) are available with Atmos track and Stereo track. When I play the Atmos track with just two stereo speakers, the volume level on Atmos track is ~10dB lower...
  8. M

    Where to buy - Hurricane knob or wing style binding post on amplifier

    In one of my amplifiers, the black color hurricane knob / wing style binding post speaker connector broke. Where can I buy this kind of binding post replacement? I just sent a note to Harman customer support but want to check whether someone knows where to get this replacement faster. Thanks
  9. M

    Song that exposes - CD, SACD, Apple Music, Amazon HD - sound quality differences

    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2022 During this holiday, I received a gift which is a limited pressing (2000) 32-bit mastering process CD, Cantate Domino, Oscar's Motet Choir. https://elusivedisc.com/oscars-motet-choir-cantate-domino-limited-edition-ultra-hd-cd/ I compare : A) Apple...
  10. M

    Do Room EQ ruin stereo soundstage and speaker coherency ?

    I played with Audyssey for multichannel HT setup and it sounds different. Measurement showed flatter and the movie surround presentation has slight difference but I can say one is better .. maybe my room does not have major resonance issue (14.5 x 21 x 10). However, when playing stereo...
  11. M

    Transformer humming while using Microwave ?

    I have a Monolith 7x multichannel amp used for driving Atmos surround sound. I like its sound quality over the multichannel Class D amp ; It is working well and produces good sound. The power outlet is on the same circuit breaker as one section of my kitchen that has microwave. I recently...
  12. M

    DACs compare: AV7706 vs CX-A5200 vs Oppo BD-105D

    Does anyone have experience or measurement compare between AV7706 DAC (AKM 4458) vs CX-A5200 (ESS9026Pro) ? Asking in the context of getting new Pre-pro and whether continue use analog out from my current Oppo BD105D DAC (ESS) or use digital out and get analog out from these new pre-pro? Thanks
  13. M

    Amplifier Phase margin - what is a good value?

    I was listening to webinar last night that talks about good amplifier design and behavior It mentions to pay attention to phase margin value which is rarely disclosed by manufacturer but is important to be able to low impedance without affecting tonal balance due to oscillation at supersonic...
  14. M

    15" woofer replacement for Revel Ultima Sub30

    One of my subwoofer Revel Ultima Sub30 is making distorted noise...It might have been overdriven during movies. I emailed Revel ; They don't stock the woofer anymore and don't repair it. What 15" woofer option can I replace it or should I find local speaker repair shop (is this a DIY job )? Thanks
  15. M

    Benchmark AHB2 / Class D Purifi Eigentakt / Mark Levinson 333 - Listening impression & Conclusion

    I have these 3 amplifiers and am curious how they compare in my environment. Equipment setup: CD/SACD player: Oppo BD105 Stereophile’s Test CD2 , Track 15 pink noise, , for level matching the three amplifiers Volume set 72dBC on track 15 before playing songs B - F Volume set to 82dBC on track...
  16. M

    5 Ch AMP weight compare - Is transformer the reason for the weight?

    Proceed AMP5 , 5x125W @8ohm, 3 transformers , weight 110lb Monolith 5X, 5x200W@8ohm, One 1040VA + One 800VA transformer, weight 78lb Krell KAV500, 5x100W @8ohm, One 1000VA transformer, weight 47lb Emotiva XPA5 , 5x250W @8ohm, ??VA transformer, switch mode power supply , weight 46lb
  17. M

    What new measurement can we develop to explain the difference in what we heard

    I have read many amp reviews that show measurement for: 1) THD + Noise with sinewave 2) Intermodulation distortion with sinewave 3) SNR with sinewave 4) Frequency response with dummy load 84/2 ohm While they are useful I often wonder if there are other measurement that can be developed to...
  18. M

    DTS Master Audio (Blu-Ray disc) vs SACD

    For the same recording , say the John Williams orchestra music, do I get the same sound details and dynamic between DTS MasterAudio (blu-ray) and SACD?
  19. M

    Why Levinson 333 sounds brighter than Krell KSA200s on the same speaker?

    I was experimenting with various legacy amplifiers on with my newly acquired B&W 802 D3, 802D3 measurement spec is https://www.stereophile.com/content/bowers-wilkins-802-d3-diamond-loudspeaker-measurements. I observed significant different in sound EQ (high / low tonal balance) between Levinson...
  20. M

    Amazon Music vs Apple Music vs YouTube

    On the same music/song (say save your tear), the YouTube sounds more compressed. Is that because it has video? Amazon Music sounds the most dynamic for this song.
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